Taylor Swift fans wanting Eras Tour tickets are falling victim to scams says Lloyds Bank

Taylor Swift fans are being targeted by a wave of concert ticket scams said to be ‘flooding’ social media as the singer’s UK tour dates edge closer.

Amid warnings from Kent Police that fraudulent ticket sellers cost Kent festival and concert goers a total of £150,559 last year, Lloyds Bank has now issued its own warning after hundreds of its customers were caught-out by scams connected to the popstar’s concerts.

The 34-year-old is preparing to perform in the country for the first time in six years this summer and tickets to her sell-out concerts have been in high demand since first going on sale last year.

Such is the hype around the gigs, a recording of the concert has already been shown in cinemas and it is currently available to stream on Disney+.

However thousands of fans desperate to be there in person are said to have fallen victim to purchase scams – losing more than £1million to fake offers of entry since the tickets went on sale.

Losing an average, says Lloyds, of £332 each it is people aged 25 to 34 most likely to be targeted.

Analysis by Lloyds has found a surge in fraud cases being reported by its own customers relating to Taylor Swift tickets, with more than 600 having come forward since last July to say they’ve been caught out.

In some of the worst cases, says the bank, the money lost has come to more than £1,000.

With these figures based solely on Lloyds Bank’s customer data, fraud experts calculate there are likely to be more than 3,000 victims UK-wide who have been trapped by scammers offering tickets they don’t have to sell.

Dozens of unofficial social media groups, it says, have been launched since news of Swift’s concerts broke in 2023 with tens of thousands of fans looking to trade tickets.

With all UK dates sold out the bank says it expects many more fans to fall victim in the months leading up to the tour, which starts here in June and finishes with final dates in August.

Liz Ziegler, Fraud Prevention Director, Lloyds Bank, said: “For her legion of dedicated Swifties, the excitement is building ahead of Taylor’s Eras Tour finally touching down in the UK this summer. However cruel fraudsters have wasted no time in targeting her most loyal fans as they rush to pick up tickets for her must-see concerts.

“It’s easy to let our emotions get the better of us when we find out our favourite artist is going to be performing live, but it’s important not to let those feelings cloud our judgement when trying to get hold of tickets.

“Buying directly from reputable, authorised platforms is the only way to guarantee you’re paying for a genuine ticket. Even then, always pay by debit or credit card for the greatest protection".

Alarm bells should ring, added Liz, if any seller found via social media asks for a bank transfer as a means of payment.